


pasta family

by fuzzyfolk



Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Pennywise (IT), Birthday, Birthday Fluff, Birthday Parties, Birthday Presents, Canon Divergence, Dogs, Eddie loves his boyfriend so much, Fluff, M/M, Richie is oblivious, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-14
Updated: 2019-12-14
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:53:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,810
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21796402
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fuzzyfolk/pseuds/fuzzyfolk
Summary: Richie really loves dogs but the timing never seems to be right to get one of his own. Eddie is determined to make Richie's 30th birthday the best one yet.
Relationships: Bill Denbrough & Mike Hanlon & Ben Hanscom & Eddie Kaspbrak & Richie Tozier & Stanley Uris, Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier
Comments: 2
Kudos: 82





	pasta family

Richie had always loved dogs. Eddie knew this because ever since he met Richie in kindergarten, he had talked endlessly about his adoration for dogs. He read all the books about caring for dogs, breeds, and training. He had done all the research required by parents before adopting a family dog. Unfortunately for Richie, his parents were very allergic to pet dander. When Bill's family adopted a labradoodle, Richie was very jealous and coped by spending as much time as possible with Bill's pup. They had named him Lucky, but Richie would have named him Falafel. Lucky eventually passed away the summer before the Losers graduated, and it destroyed Richie. He held it together for Bill, because it was his dog after all, but he cried about it a lot more than he liked to admit. Life continued on without Lucky, but Richie felt the Losers Club had lost an honorary member. He made a promise to himself that when he could make that commitment, he would adopt his very own dog and he or she would be just as great as Lucky.

As Richie got older, that goal seemed to get further away from him every day. He didn't have much free time at all in college because if he wasn't in class, he was working full time as an intern at a local radio station. Richie was only in the apartment he shared with Bill for a total of four hours every night to get some sleep. He had hoped graduation would free up some time, but when it finally rolled around Richie had to juggle two jobs to pay his rent. He kept his job at the station and been promoted to a paying position, but he had also started working at a diner. Eventually his comedy career took off and he started to book gigs left and right, then came tours and celebrity events. Richie was afraid his life would never slow down enough for him to be able to care for his dream dog.

When Richie was twenty-seven, his father died. He was in the middle of a tour across the country from Derry in Las Vegas. He had to cancel the rest of the shows to go home for the funeral. People were angry, but they were often angry at Richie so it didn't affect him more than usual. His mother was distraught when he arrived in his hometown.

"I didn't tell him I loved him enough," Maggie's lip quivered as she spoke. "Always tell people you love them if you love them. One day, they'll be gone and you won't get another chance. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"Yes ma'am," Richie answered somberly.

"No you don't. Richie, I've watched you fall head over heels for that Kaspbrak boy and you still haven't realized it."

"W-What?" Richie asked in shock, his face beet red.

"Don't play dumb. Tell him before it's too late. I'm not kidding, Richard." Maggie sipped her tea with her eyebrows raised like she always did when she was serious about something. She was right as she always was. Richie didn't know how he didn't realize it before his mother had to tell him. He loved everything about Eddie, his big brown eyes, his button nose and the way it scrunched up when he was annoyed, the slight wave of his hair, and that life changing smile of his. He called Eddie that night and confessed his love in tears. Luckily, Eddie had felt the same.

The distance between LA and NYC took a toll on the two. Richie traveled back and forth as much as he could, volunteering less and less at the shelters and prioritized the time he spent with his boyfriend. Richie would still get excited to see dogs when he was out with Eddie, and every time Richie's face would light up and Eddie's heart melted. Eddie loved dogs too, but Richie loved them on a different level than Eddie had ever seen.

Three years later in February, Eddie was racking his brain what to get for Richie for his birthday and scrolling through his instagram looking for ideas. He saw an ad for an upcoming adoption event at a shelter the following Saturday. He closed the app and opened up his messages, making a new group chat separate from the main Losers Club chat, excluding Richie of course.

iMessage

Today 2:48 PM

Eddie: guys i have an idea for richie's bday.

stan🦉: Oh boy.

mike🤠: I 2nd tht ^^

bevvy👠: let's hear him out first, boys. 

Eddie: it's a good one i promise.

Eddie: so here's the plan..

That Saturday, Eddie told Richie that he had a boring work thing so that Richie wouldn't want to tag along. The two had moved in together a couple years back and spent all the time they could together. Eddie loved every moment, even when Richie was annoying him to no end. He loved Richie more than he could express, so much it was kind of gross. After Richie finally let him leave, he made his way to the animal shelter. He was greeted by a nice girl with short pink hair in a t-shirt with the shelter's logo printed on the chest and blue jeans.

"Hi! Can I help you with anything today?" she asked politely with a big smile.

"Yeah, I'm looking to adopt a dog for me and my boyfriend. His birthday's coming up next week and he's been wanting a dog since kindergarten." Eddie answered, looking around the crowded lobby nervously.

"How sweet! What kind of dog are you looking for?" The girl asked.

"Hard to say, he loves literally every dog he sees." Eddie answered. The girl turned away from the lobby to the adoption floor and Eddie trailed behind her.

"Okay, well let's try to narrow it down," she suggested. "Are you two adventurous or homebodies?"

"Definitely not very active. I like to run twice a day, but he's totally a couch potato." Eddie answered honestly.

"Are you willing to pay for training classes and work with your pup?" 

"Yeah, we can train. He's got a big heart."

"I think I have the perfect guy for you two," she smiled excitedly and lead Eddie to a kennel. He looked inside and saw a medium-sized yellow dog with long fur on his ears and tail. He seemed a little skittish, and hid in the corner. "This is Macaroni. We think he's a lab and spaniel mix and about four years old. He's shy at first, but when he warms up he's a stand up guy. He's been here for six months because a lot of adopters aren't willing to put in the work to make him happy."

"His name is Macaroni?" Eddie laughed.

"Yeah, but he doesn't know it that well so you could always change it if you wanted." 

"No, no! It's perfect. He calls me 'Eddie Spaghetti' and I hate it. We can be a pasta family," he laughed again and Macaroni jumped. "Can I see him? Outside of the kennel?"

"Really? Yeah, of course! Let me open up a room!" The girl smiled brightly and left Eddie to wait outside Macaroni's kennel. The girl returned with a leash and a key. She stepped inside the kennel and leashed Macaroni carefully, then lead the way to a room with a chair, toys, and treats. Once inside, she unleashed Macaroni and let him roam around. Eddie kneeled down and tossed a few treats to Macaroni, leaving a trail of treats up to himself. Macaroni was skeptical, but eventually trusted Eddie enough to sit right in front of him. Eddie fed him more treats and pet the fur on the side of his face, Macaroni licked his hand as his body language loosened.

"He's perfect," Eddie smiled as Macaroni rolled over, exposing his tummy for pets. "What now? What do I have to do to take him home?"

The paperwork was tedious, but the adoption fee wasn't too terrible. He informed the girl of his plan, and she made arrangements to make it work. Eddie was jittery with excitement as he drove home, trying to practice his poker face. He made it home and Richie didn't suspect a thing. The next week went by excruciatingly slow, and Eddie struggled to keep the surprise a secret.

Richie's birthday finally came around and their friends were expected to arrive at noon that day, which was quite early for Richie. Eddie had been so excited he couldn't sleep the night before and had found little activities around the house to keep himself busy and pass the time.

"Babe, please sit down with me." Richie whined as Eddie hand washed all of the dishes in the cupboard for the second time.

"I can't! I'm busy, I've got things to do." Eddie flicked his hand at Richie dismissively.

"Eds, it's my birthday. No fair." Richie pouted and Eddie sighed, draining the sink and sitting with Richie at the dining table. Richie was still eating the pancakes, eggs, and bacon Eddie had lovingly prepared him this morning. His hair was messy, and he was still in his boxers and a t-shirt from the previous night.

"Hurry up and finish your breakfast and get changed into some real clothes. Our friends will be here soon and as great as your ass is, it's for my eyes only." Eddie ordered with a stern tone and a lighthearted wink.

"Yeah, yeah, old man." Richie picked his plate up and brought it to the sink.

"You're the old one, babe. You're thirty now, I'm still holding onto my twenties." Eddie giggled teasingly as he ushered Richie to their bedroom. As Richie got ready, the doorbell rang and Eddie answered it to Bill and Stan. Stan was always punctual, and Bill had become more reliable when the two started dating, presumably because Stan was very bossy. He stepped aside and let the two come in and set their presents down on the table.

"Where is the birthday boy?" Bill asked, putting his hands on his hips like a proper old man. Stan really was rubbing off on him.

"He's getting ready because he still sleeps like a teenager and doesn't get up before noon, like, ever." Eddie explained with a half-sigh, half-laugh.

Richie eventually made his appearance, dressed in the outfit Eddie had bought him for his last birthday. An elbow length button up shirt with a pattern of bananas and big green leaves that made his arms look big and strong, and army green pants that hugged his legs nicely. He looked hot, quite frankly.

"Happy birthday, Rich!" Stan smiled as he hugged Richie.

"What he said," Bill chuckled and gave Richie a noogie.

The doorbell rang again, and Eddie left the two to wrestle to answer it. Ben and Beverly greeted him and joined their presents with Bill and Stan's. The two wished Richie a happy birthday and they all chatted amongst themselves, Eddie fighting his excitement back. The doorbell rang once more, and Mike reunited with the rest of the Losers. They talked for a while, then Eddie suggested Richie open his presents. Richie sat on the couch next to Eddie as the Losers formed a circle around him.

Eddie passed him the first present and Richie put on a big show, as always, tearing the wrapping paper. He revealed the gift to be a collar with a Hawaiian print decorating the pleather.

"Wow, this is uh... kinky." Richie chuckled as he sat the collar aside, not questioning it. "Thank you, Ben."

Next, he unwrapped a set of two bowls. One read "CHOW" and the other "SLURP." Mike had brought them. Richie thanked him for the new soup bowls. Then, a leash that matched the collar from Beverly. After that, a box filled with all kinds of chew toys from Stan. Richie thought they were cute, but he wasn't much of a stuffed animal guy. Lastly, a dog bed that matched Richie's comforter from Bill, Richie thought it was a pillow. He was confused without the slightest clue of what was unfolding before him.

"My present isn't here, we've gotta go pick it up." Eddie explained with a big smile.

"Oh okay. Like, right now? Party's over already?" Richie asked, expecting a dirty surprise.

"We'll have dinner later tonight, don't worry." Bev promised with a wink, ushering the others to gather their things and head out.

"Eddie Spaghetti, what are you planning?" Richie smirked after their friends left, snaking his arms around Eddie's waist.

"We aren't having sex, mister! We have places to be." Eddie playfully banged his fists against Richie's chest, wiggling out of his grip.

"Eds, it is my birthday. I think birthday sex is mandatory for a man for his thirtieth birthday." Richie teased and leaned down to kiss Eddie, Eddie reluctantly kissing him back.

"Fine! Let's have sex and you can miss out on the best birthday present in the history of birthdays." Eddie crossed his arms and scrunched up his nose the way he always did when he was angry.

"Eduardo, you're so feisty when you're pissed. I'm kidding around! Let's go," Richie placed kisses across Eddie's cheeks until his face broke into a smile. "Are you driving or am I?"

"I am! You're getting blindfolded so the surprise doesn't get ruined." Eddie smiled cheekily, locking his hand with Richie's.

"You can't blindfold me after telling me I can't get birthday sex! That's just cruel, babe." Richie whined as he let Eddie lead him to his car. Eddie rolled his eyes at the crude joke as he loaded his boyfriend into the car. As promised, he tied a bandana around Richie's big head, covering his eyes.

"I'm kind of scared now," Richie laughed nervously once the car started to move. "I really don't know what to expect. Maybe you're gonna get revenge for all the terrible nicknames I give you and kill me in the woods."

"Richie, if I wanted to kill you, I would have done it by now, and no one would know." Eddie replied with a laugh.

"How would you kill me?" Richie asked to pass time.

"Hmm. I would poison you because I don't want to physically hurt you. Then, I'd very lovingly put your body in acid to get rid of the evidence." Eddie explained, giggling.

"Babe, that's the most romantic thing you've ever said to me!" Richie cooed with a valley girl accent.

"Your standards are very low," Eddie laughed again, feeling the happiest he'd ever been.

"My standards are not low! My boyfriend is way out of my league, he can be mean to me all he wants as long as he stays with me. Your standards are low! You're dating an old, fat comedian who's jokes aren't even funny." Richie replied, blindly trying to find Eddie's hand so he could hold it.

"You're more than anything I could ever ask for." Eddie said sweetly as he pulled into the animal shelter's parking lot. He parked his car, and helped his temporarily blind boyfriend out of his seat and into the building. The soundproof glass helped Eddie conceal where they were. He waved to the girl who helped him find the perfect dog, and pulled Richie to Macaroni's kennel. He untied the bandana and pulled it away from his eyes. 

"Happy birthday, Chee." Eddie whispered as he revealed the present.

"Holy shit! He's... he's ours?" Richie smiled widely, dropping to his knees to see the dog better as his eyes welled up with tears. 

"He's all ours," Eddie confirmed as he joined Richie on the ground.

"What's his name?" Richie asked, tears escaping his eyes.

"Macaroni." Eddie answered and Richie laughed with glee. 

"That's perfect," Richie smiled so much his cheeks hurt. "Oh my god. All the presents today were for him!"

"Yeah, it was surprising you didn't guess." Eddie chuckled, admiring his boyfriend and their new dog. Eddie left Richie with Macaroni and brought the collar and leash to the front desk so he could finally bring the dog home. An employee stepped into Macaroni's kennel and adjusted the new collar to fit snugly around his neck, and linked it with the matching leash. Then, the employee handed Macaroni's leash to Richie.

Richie hadn't stopped smiling or crying tears of joy, and he leaned down to love on his new dog. Macaroni warmed right up to him, his tail wagging as he licked he tears off of Richie's face. Macaroni sat on Richie's lap the whole way home, and Richie couldn't ask for a better family between the three of them. Everything he ever wanted was right in front of him. _What a way to kick off your thirties_ , Richie thought to himself as Macaroni slept peacefully in his lap and Eddie glowed beautifully sitting next to him.


End file.
